The James Swan Papers contain excellent documentation on the career of an articulate spokesman for the conservative political philosophy in Wisconsin during the Vietnam War era. Unlike the letters written by many legislators to their constituents, Swan's letters were always frank statements of his views. Swan also made many notes on material which he reviewed which are expressive of his fiscal restraint and opposition to big government. These views are especially prominent in files on the University of Wisconsin and anti-war disruptions, the equal rights amendment, welfare, taxation, and school spending. Other topics which are well documented include the Joint Committee to Visit State Properties, the State Building Commission, and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

There are no files pertaining to his work in agriculture.

The collection is organized as subject files, biographical material, speeches, and Joint Committee on Finance records. Included are correspondence, memoranda, reports, statements, transcripts of remarks on the Senate floor or to various committees, notes and annotated documents, speeches, and biographical clippings.

SUBJECT FILES, which form the largest portion of the collection, are arranged into one large alphabetical series. In Swan's office the files were originally arranged as correspondence and reference material, both arranged by subject. After weeding in the Archives to remove publications and documents more accessible in the records of the creating agencies, the contents of the two series differed little, and the two types of files were combined for easier access.

Although Swan was a member of the Joint Committee on Finance throughout his tenure in the Senate, only for the 1973 session are the files extensive, and for that year the materials on Joint Finance are a separate series. Documents pertaining to earlier years are filed within the subject files under the heading “budget bill.” For the 1971 session, these files pertain only to the budget conference committee.

Routine correspondence received by Swan was generally filed by the residence of the letterwriter. Thus, there are large files for Janesville, Whitewater, Walworth County, and other localities. Possibly reflecting the fact that Swan was not identified with any particular legislative initiatives, there were no separate bill files in this collection; instead the few folders of this type have been interfiled in the subject files under the headings “Assembly bills” and “Senate bills.”

The collection contains unusually good correspondence, mailings, form letters, and planning material pertaining to Swan's reelection campaigns in 1970 and 1974 which is filed under the heading “Swan senatorial campaigns.” Elsewhere are substantial files on the Senate Republican Caucus and general political concerns. Unfortunately the collection contains an incomplete file of his press releases and no newsletters, although the questionnaires file contains responses to a query he distributed via the newsletter in 1973.

Because the records of the Joint Committee on Finance in the State Archives are very incomplete, the material received from Swan pertaining to his vice-chairmanship in 1973 has been retained virtually unweeded. Swan's JOINT COMMITTEE ON FINANCE RECORDS contain a substantial amount of background material pertaining to budget decisions which is organized alphabetically by agency or program name.

SPEECHES consists of prepared remarks, outline notes, and weeded reference material used in preparing his speeches. BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL consists of resumes and biographical clippings removed from other portions of the collection. No biographical scrapbooks were received with the collection.